I. Personal details

II. Education and academic qualifications

MA in European Studies, completed in 2002 at: University of Sarajevo; University of Sussex University of Bologna; the London School of Economics

Master’s Thesis: The Internet and Freedom of Expression

Bachelor’s degree from University of Sarajevo – 1987

Beholder of several prizes for her work in the field of human rights, including:

Freedom prize awarded by the International Peace Centre in Sarajevo – 2010. For the work and activities on the struggle for freedom, peace and development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe and the world.

Médaille Charlemagne award – 2015. This award recognizes a European personality who has made a unique contribution within the field of media and human rights, to the process of European unification and the development of a European identity.

City of Geneva PEC Press Emblem Campaign Award– 2015. For the work on the issue of the safety of journalists and media freedom in Ukraine during the crisis and "exceptional personal commitment for the promotion of freedom of information in the whole region.

Dialogue of Cultures award– Council of Media congress – Hermitage Museum –Saint Petersburg, Russia 2015. For the work with young journalists.

Concordia Press Club prize, Vienna, Austria – 2015. The Concordia Prize is awarded for outstanding journalistic achievements in human rights, democracy, focusing on freedom of the press and freedom of information.

Grand Decoration of Honour awarded by the President of Republic of Austria – 2017. For the work as the OSCE Representative on Media Freedom and for services to the Republic of Austria. The decoration is given to individuals from Austria and abroad for their special contribution to the country and it is one of the greatest honours bestowed by Austrian Republic.

III. Professional Activities

Dunja Mijatović was the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the highest-ranking female free-expression advocate in the world. Mijatović was appointed in 2010 to protect and promote free media and free expression in the 57 countries of North America, Europe and Central Asia that comprise the OSCE. The mandate directs the Representative to provide an “early warning function and rapid response to serious non-compliance with regard to free media and freedom of expression.” The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media is appointed in accordance with OSCE procedures by the Ministerial Council upon the recommendation of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office after consultation with the 57 participating States. In this role, Dunja Mijatovic was in charge of the overall direction and supervision of the activities of the OSCE human rights programme related to the freedom of expression, media freedom, communications, safety of journalists, access to and free flow of information and advising on fighting on line radicalisation and terrorism while protecting human rights. The tasks include provision of technical advice to states on media issues; public diplomacy campaigns and events; diplomatic outreach in cases of concern, and stakeholder engagement. It also includes the administration and management of the Office, the budget process and human resources.

Dunja Mijatović was a member of the team responsible for the creation and development of a legal, regulatory and policy framework for the media in a complex post-war society and further involved in setting up a self-regulatory press council and directly involved in drafting and implementing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first hate speech regulation. She was also involved in setting up the first Free Media Helpline in South East Europe. As the member of the Council of the Forum on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006-2009), she was directly involved in the development of the national strategy for the introduction of digital TV and bridging digital divide in BiH and the region. This first-hand experience in fighting and successfully regulating wide-spread hate speech in broadcasting media enabled her to gain tremendous expertise and international recognition in this field.

Dunja Mijatović joined the Independent Media Commission (IMC) on its establishment in 1998, and since then she has been involved in communications and media regulation in BiH. This Agency was established as part of the international peace effort in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the objective of being a leader in modern trends of efficient and effective communications regulation.

European Community Monitoring Mission
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1996-1998

Australian Embassy Migration Office
Vienna, Austria – 1994-1995

Special Assistance Task Group – processing of Refugee, Special Humanitarian and Special Assistance Category applications.

IV. Activities and experience in the field of human rights

Dunja Mijatović has spent more two decades working on protection of human rights combined with 7 years of leading an intergovernmental human rights institution and 12 years of leading a department of the state institution. Her commitment to human rights was evident from the start of her career in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was devoted towards establishment of full respect of human rights including right of people to freely express themselves in a post war and post conflict environment. She worked on delicate issues of post-war institution building, establishing broadcasting regulation and ways to deal with hate speech and dangerous speech to enable a political climate facilitating human rights and freedoms, peace and security.

The beginning of her career was also very much related to the establishment of culture of respect of human rights and cooperation with international organisations and civil society in that respect, among which a direct and most active and fruitful cooperation with the Council of Europe. She was a member of CDMM, functioning at that time, as well as the member of the Standing Committee on Transfrontier Television (T-TT) and she additionally chaired the Council of Europe Group of Specialists on freedom of expression and information in times of crisis (MC-S-IC) from 2005 – 2007. She has in-depth knowledge about the Council of Europe mission and tasks and the positive impact different structures make in member States, particularly during a time of transition and in the time of crisis.

In her daily work, she maintained a close liaison with other international and regional organisations such as UNHRC, UNESCO, Council of Europe and the European Union, and many other regional and national institutions. In numerous cases, she has worked with these organisations to build consensus in highly difficult political environment.

She worked and cooperated closely on different issues with the previous and current CoE Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, through her engagement with leaders of several countries, she managed to develop an atmosphere of trust to resolve some of the most acute human rights violations. Her work also included regular visits to prisons that were granted by the OSCE participating States.

She also extensively worked on the issues related to the protection of minors, LGBTI rights, women’s rights and gender equality, particularly the intensification of hate speech against women, especially on the Internet, fight against propaganda for war and hatred and tackling the issue of fake news phenomena, counter terrorism and violent extremism and other grave breaches of human rights. Under her leadership, many communiqués and resolutions were adopted to help raise awareness and resolve problems related to the abovementioned topics.

Dunja Mijatović was President of the Board of the association “Your RIGHT” Bosnia and Herzegovina. The association is local, non-governmental and non-profit organisation with its headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Association was originally founded in 1996 as a network of information and legal aid centers under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with its mandate to ensure safe, legal, and dignified return of refugees and displaced persons to their prewar homes. Since 1996, the Association has provided aid to some 450,000 refugees, returnees, displaced persons, minority groups, and vulnerable groups of domicile population in legal matters such as: property repossession, social, economic and cultural rights, discrimination in access to employment, utilities, education, and social welfare, as well as other human rights guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and other international legal instruments.

Dunja Mijatović is honorary director of EDUS - EDUCATION FOR ALL a non-government, not-for-profit organisation that offers advanced scientific methodology, through cooperation with public preschool and primary education institutions, for children with and without development delays. It also assists in education and advancement of professionals in this area, education and support to parents and scientific cooperation in the wider professional community. EDUS was founded in November 2010, by a gathering of professionals, parents and citizens, as an expression of the need to make an alliance of individuals and groups that share their vision of the full potential of each child, regardless of their stage of development.

V. Public activities

Dunja Mijatović was both the first EPRA chair from a non-EU country and the first woman to chair this network. EPRA is the world’s largest network of 52 media regulatory authorities, while the European Commission and the Council of Europe are standing observers of the Platform. The Secretariat of the EPRA is currently based in Strasbourg (France) and is hosted by the Council of Europe’s European Audio-visual Observatory. She was involved in bringing together EPRA and the Mediterranean Regulatory Authorities Network (RIRM) in order to start exchanging views and experience related to audio-visual matters. RIRM was established to strengthen the historical and cultural links between Mediterranean countries, and to give the opportunity to the independent regulatory authorities from the Mediterranean area to identify, in the background of globalisation, the common challenges they have to face.

Council of Europe Group of Specialists on freedom of expression and information in times of crisis (MC-S-IC) – Strasbourg, France – 2005-2007 – Chairperson

For two mandates Dunja Mijatović chaired the working group of experts from the Council of Europe member States. Her leadership of the group’s work resulted in two major resolutions: Declaration by the Committee of Ministers on the protection and promotion of investigative journalism and Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on protecting freedom of expression and information in times of crisis (both adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 26 September 2007 at the 1005th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies).

Dunja Mijatović was President of the Board of the association “Your Right“ Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2005 to 2007.

Dunja Mijatović is honorary director of EDUS - EDUCATION FOR ALL – a non-government, not-for-profit organisation that offers advanced scientific methodology, through cooperation with public preschool and primary education institutions, for children with and without development delays.

VI. Other activities

Dunja Mijatović is a frequent speaker at the conferences, guest lecturer at the universities and a regular contributor of articles and commentary pieces in international media on subjects such as human rights, peace building, combating hate speech, media freedom, broadcast regulation, new media, and journalists’ safety. In 2012, Mijatović topped Guardian poll of people who have had the most impact in the battle to keep the internet open. She addressed conferences and student halls in the U.S., Russia, Italy, Western Balkan countries, Turkey, Iceland and other countries.

She is a regular speaker at the academic forums e.g. George Washington University – Inaugural lecture – Global Internet Freedom and Human Rights Distinguished Speaker Series, numerous lectures at the Columbia University New York. Last year she delivered annual Harriman lecture at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University of the City of New York – Free Expression in the Age of Security Threats. She was frequently interviewed by international media (e.g., CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera etc.) on issues related to media, access to information, security, fight against terrorism etc. She published numerous reports and books on such issues as media and communication policy, human rights and security, human rights and fight against terrorism and violent extremism, fundamental communication rights, new media and technology, and media in transition. She provided input into a set of annual joint declarations on the global policies on media freedom, communications and recommendations thereof. Translated into several languages, these and other publications serve the academic and political debate and are widely used in college classrooms.

She has in depth knowledge and expertise in strategic communications and digital platforms and new media tools including social media. She was an early participant in the global discussion about new media and the digitalisation of journalism. During her tenure at the OSCE, she launched several campaigns aimed at raising awareness and engaging key actors on emerging issues related to human rights violations. These include the anti-impunity campaign "Chronicle of Threats" which received the Bronze Lion at the world's largest festival of creativity and public relations in Cannes. She also pioneered engagement in the issues of online safety of female journalists, dealing with abuse and hate speech, and started a discussion at the OSCE on fighting online radicalisation and terrorism while protecting human rights.